Brief cases



July 24, 1956 H. E. KOSEK I 2,755,837

BRIEF CASES Filed April 12, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A TTORNEY July 1956 H. E. KOSEK 2,755,837

BRIEF CASES Filed April 12. 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 NAMEZ i 4 ml i- 4 Sam Ice HONORABLE DiSCHARGE V W O "1 d l G INVENTOR. Hercrq E. K OSe/Q A TTOAIVEY BRIEF CASES Henry-E. Kdselg Bryan, Tex.

Application April "12, 1954;Serial No. 422,611

. l- Claimr- (Cl.'--150'--1.'6)

The present invention relates to brief cases of the type that are folded double when closed and are laid out flat when open, andmore particularlyto a brief case which is intended to be ofconsiderableuse to Armed Forces personnel for'the keeping and display of their: personal records of enlistment, promotion, transfer, citations and the like, which records are usually subject to improvident handling and unnecessary wear in the constant traveland change of station normal to the Armed Forces! I It has therefore its primary object-toprovide such a brief case as is exceptionally useful to 'men and women in the military service whose personal papers require special display and handling for the reason that many of those papers are printed orders made perforce in many copies and on such flimsy tissue that frequent handling destroys them.

Another singular object of the present invention is to provide a brief case having a transparent panel on one side for the insertion from inside the case of a proper identification card for readily available inspection and identification of the case.

Still another important feature of the present invention is the object to provide a leather case of proper appearance suitable for commissioned personnel as well as for the non-commissioned ofiicers and enlisted men and Women who take pride in their service and uniform, and such a case as is readily adaptable for each branch of the service and if adopted would be uniform in appearance and usage, and a fitting adjunct to the article issue now provided.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a brief case that may also be used by civilian personnel as a personal records file.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a brief case which carries in properly arranged pockets and under particularly positioned transparencies the vital records of the persons military services or personal records, and further provides room for a standardized notebook for addresses and may be used for a Writing surface with space provided for the retention of a writing tablet or other material as desired.

A pertinent portion of the invention concerns the employment of a particular type clasp for the ring binder anchored on the metal center backing and a particular post and clamp arrangement that is especially effective to hold in secure order all flimsy transfer orders, appointment papers, commendations, diplomas of special schools, and in the event of separation, the discharge papers that are pertinent and desirable of prominent display.

These and many other objects and advantages will be readily apparent from the following description when considered with the annexed claim and with the attached drawings, in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan View in elevation of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an edge view in elevation of the invention;

Fig.5 is a detailed top view Fig. 3 is a view of a transparent envelope for use in h e eti ys t qna- Fig, 4 isaplan view of the invention open and laid flatasin use; a of the post and clamp portionof the invention; .1

- 7 Fig: 6'-is a viewin section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a detailed,view;of-one of the loops of..the central'binder portion of the invention;', j Fig. 8 isan end view taken ,on lin.e. 88 of Fig. 7;

,Fig. 9is a plan view of .the,.identification. card po cket f t v n on; 1.1

-. FigaQa is-aview of the identification card;

"512- 1 5. apl nsview oftfitfoldable card for insertion in the pocket in the envelope of.-.,F.ig..; 3;; :1 ':.:.=z. Fig. .1 l i s a plan vi ew,,of.a,- .special:pocket or envelope for the insertionof immunization papers.

.Referringwith greater detail to -.the drawings, i Figs. 1 to 3,,the invention is shown to consist 20f arback'z'portion ltl-withapair of side, panels .11, 12; extending rin .oppositedirections and secured together: by .theslidelfastener.1 3 ;having a chainpull 14 with a. lock.15',= 'zAn elongated, tube 16 somewhat-flattenedextends along the back portion 10 ,and;v has, on it two swing-mounted. loops lj each with one endpinioned in the..tube 1,6.=and..-the other free end of each having a slot 18 to receive the end of the catch 19 which in turn is pivotally secured at its other end to the tube 16 adjacent each loop 17.

Secured in face to face relation on the one side panel 12 is a clamp member indicated generally at 21 and which has a base 22 of stifiened material such as metal or plastic and having at its midlength a recess 23 which extends to each edge 24. In the recess is a pin 25 at each end, transversely disposed and each extending through an elongated guide slot 250: in its associated plate to hold the plate in the recess 23, and by means of which the clamps 26 are guided for limited movement longitudinally of the base 22, being biased in one direction each by the springs 27. The springs 27, being connected between pins 25 and fingers 25b, extending from clamping plates 26, also serve to bias the clamping plates 26 interiorly of recesses 23. Each clamping plate 26 also has a finger engaging portion 2% and is bifurcated at one end 28 to embrace the post 29 at that end of the recess. Each of posts 29 has its end 30 enlarged and anchored in the side panel 12, with the upstanding end 31 being on the inner side 32 thereof, so that the posts are contained within the case when in closed position as in Fig. 2. The base 22 has secured along one edge thereof the end edge of a sheet of transparent material 33. Records with suitable holes on one edge are received on said posts 29 in the conventional manner.

The invention contemplates many forms and a preferred form has a plurality of envelopes 34, 35, 36, one of which 34 is positioned over an opening 37 in the side panel 11, and each has transparent sides, at least on one side, for the ready inspection of displayed material therein. Envelope 36 is formed to have openings 38 along one edge to receive the loops 17, and a slot-like pocket opening 39 along its top edge into which may be inserted a suitable indicia 41 as shown in Fig. 10, to display a title, such as honorable discharge, or diploma, or the like.

Figs. 9, 9a, and 11 show details of the envelope 34; of a card 34:: which may be used in the opening 37 for easy identification by the owner; and of an elongated envelope 35 Which may accommodate the records pertaining to immunization injections and other medical records which are desirably kept handy. A notebook 42 is secured by its back to panel 11 by suitable means such as adhesive or by having its back cover inserted under a flap or in a slot in the lining of the panel. Most preferably, the panels 11, 12 are made of one piece of top grade leather, and have a relatively stiff filler 43 between thin leather facings 44 and 45, as seen in Fig. 6, although other methods of manufacture may be used and other forms of the invention are contemplated.

While a single form of the invention has been shown here illustrated and described, many changes and modifications for particular purposes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as set forth in the following and appended claim.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, What is claimed is:

A brief case for personal records comprising a case having an elongated back portion and a pair of side panels extending from the long sides of said back portion in opposite directions, said back portion and said side panels being formed from a single piece of leather on their outer sides and having a thin leather facing on their inner sides and a relatively stiff filler between said inner and outer sides, a pair of document retaining posts, each having an enlarged end, said ends engaging in said filler on one of said side panels and aligned along one edge of said one panel in a direction at right angles to the elongation of said back, said posts extending upwardly from the inner surface of said one panel, a clamp member having an elongated base formed with a recess at its midlength extending to each edge of said base, said base being disposed in face to face relation with said one panel with said recess on its confronting face, said base having a pair of post receiving apertures extending one into each end of said recess, and a pair of spring biased clamping plates slidable in said recess, each of said plates being bifurcated at one end, the bifurcations engaging the adjacent post to clamp said base thereto and each having a slot therein extending longitudinally of said base, a pin secured to said base adjacent each end of said recess, one pin extending through the slot in each plate, the spring biasing means for each plate comprising a spring connected at one end to one of said pins and at its other end to the associated plate for biasing the bifurcations into engagement with the adjacent post, and a finger engaging portion on eachclamping plate extending out of said recess for moving said plates against the bias of said springs.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 805,507 Watt Nov. 28, 1905 934,430 Dawson Sept. 21, 1909 1,163,601 Elder Dec. 7, 1915 1,192,117 Reed July 25, 1916 2,173,120 Lifton Sept. 19, 1939 2,226,387 Reuben Dec. 24, 1940 2,502,275 Perlin Mar. 28, 1950 2,554,215 Schell et a1 May 22, 1951 

